Glass-polishing apparatus



1929- A. w. PLATI' 3 GLASS POLISHING APPARATUS File d Aug. 16, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 22, 1929. w, -r1- 1,732,695

GLASS POLISHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 16. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F l\ a o I g a R Q 811 1 z\ n] lg S x m M Q A i' l w A z 1 h 5-. W ll Oct 1 A. w. mm 1,732,695

GLASS POLISHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 16. 1926 :5 Sheets-Sheet a Passed oa. 22.1929

UN T D STATES, T, F E-Y mm W. PLATE, 0] TOLEDO, OEIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE EDWARD FORD PLATE GLASS COIPANY, OII' BOBBI OBD, OHIO,'A CORPORATION 01' OHIO omsaronsnmo mmrus Application am August 16.1w. semi no. 129,405.

This invention relates to apparatus particularly intended for grinding and polishing plate glass ina continuous manner.

n the grinding and lishing of. plate glass by what is common y referred to as a I continuous process wherein a practically continuous strip of lass is passed beneath the grindin and 'shing members, considerable di culty as been experienced in keep- 1o ing the felt covering the polishing blocks in proper. surface condition to efliciently perform the intended function. The working felt surfaces of the blockssoon become coated with a hard glazed deposit of the olishu ing or abradin material which not on y prevents the polis ing or abrasive action taking lace, but frequently results in scratching the ished or part1 finished surface. Many means and metho s have been used and practiced to overcome this objection, but so far as I- am aware,'without entirely satisfactory results. These old methods areexpensive and cumbersome and result in considerable loss of timein the polishing process.

An object of the invention is the provision ofva grindingand polishing.- means of the class described which will overcome the objections abovevnoted, and will perform the grinding or polishing operations in a rapid and eflicient manner.

Another object of the invention is the provision of simple and efficient means for intermittently cleaning and reconditioning the felt covering working surfaces of the abrading or polishing blocks without stopping the machine.

' Other objects and advantages of the inven tion willbe apparent from the following detailed description.

. Figure 1 isa top plan view-of an'apparatus embodying the invention, with parts broken away; Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof on line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section onithe line 33 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectionon the line 4-4 in Fig. 3 with the split nut jaws closed; Fig. 5 is a similar section withthe split nut jaws open; Fig. 6 is a top plan-view'of a polishing-unit transferring 'truck with the top frame part broken away; 50 Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on the line 7-7 in Fig. 1, and Fi 8 is a side elevation of the parts shown in ig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, 1-1 designate a plurality of pairs of transversely spaced main frame standards with the pairs spaced len hwiseof the machine and cooperating wit each other to form a space or runway 2 longitudinally'of the machine in which a conveyor, or movable tables 3 arranged in successive end abutting relation, are adapted to travel. These tables are intended to sup port the plate glass 4 to be ground or lished and are mounted on trucks 5, the w eels of which travel on rails 6 mounted len hwise in the bottom of the runwa 2. A earing standard 7' is provided-at t e outer side of each standard 1, being tied thereto at its top by a cross-head piece 8.. The standards 7 at one side of the'machine cooperate with the adjacent standards 1 to form a space or runway 9 therebetween, while the standards 7 at the other side of the machine coo .rate with the standards 1- at such side to orm a space or runway 10. The runwa s 9 and 10 parallel the runway 2, and each as rails 11 forming a track on which one'or more transfer trucks 12 travel.

' The frame standards 1 of each pair are connected at each side thereof across the top portion of the runway 2 by a pair of upper and lower guide or track bars 13 and 14 respectively, which face the pair of corresponding guide bars on the adjacent side of the next pair of frame standards 1 in order and cooperate therewith to form guides 23 for the purpose hereinafter described. These guide bars, in \the present instance, are of L-form and extend at their ends beyond the outer sides of the respective frame standards 1, and a short distance over the respective runways 9 and 10 for the transfer trucks 12.

In the practicing of my invention a plurality of rotary polishing units 15.are intended to travel in successive order across the top of the glass 4. on the table 3, being uided in such movement by one set of guide Ears composed of upper and lower pairs of opposed bars 13 and 14, respectively, and to successively move onto the transfer truck 12 at one side of the machine ,and then be transferred 100 I and as each unit reaches the opposite side of the table 3 and passes on to t e truck 12 at such side it is :1 am transferred to and fed into and throug the first mentioned set 'of guide bars. During this cycle of movements of the polishing units the conveyor 3 carrying the glass 4 that is being acted on may e intermittently advanced through the runway -2 or may be run slowly and continuously through the runway, as may be desired, the

of movement of the tables being. uita 10 for the grinding or polishing action 'eingjperformed. I

ach polishing unit 15 includes a head 16 carried at the lower end of a vertical shaft 17 and a plurality (in the present instance 4) of runners or work coacting blocks 18 carried by each head 16 for turning movements therewith and for rotary mowements relative thereto, as well understood in the art. The blocks 18 usually have their working surfaces covered with felt.

Each shaft 17 is journalled in a carriage composed, in the present instance, of a body member 19, having at its u per end a crosshead 20, which travels in the upper'cooperating set of guide bars 13, and at its lower end a similar cross-head 21, which is adapted to be guided by the lower cooperating guide bars 14 of a set, as best shown in Flg. .7. Each shaft 17 above its carriage is provided with a sprocket-wheel 22, which, when the unit is in either guideway 23- is adapted toengage a cross-run of a drive chain 24, which operates when moved to impart rotary movements to the shaft 17, and the parts carried thereby; The chain 24 has a rectangular course of movement except that at one side of the runway 2 it is looped around a drive sprocket 25 mounted on a vertical shaft 26 t at is connected through a set of bevel pinions 27 to a main drive shaft 28 extending longitudinally over the machine frame. The chain 24 at the corners of. its movement passes around guide sheaves 29 carried by bearing brackets 30 on the upper ends of the associated frame standards 1 at the respective sides of the frame. The shaft 26 is journalled in one of the brackets 30, and the drive shaft 28 is journalled in bearings 31 mounted on such" bracket. The shaft 28 continues throughout the length of the machine and has driving connection with the successive cha-ins24 of the machine the same as with the chain above mentioned. One cross-run of a chain 24 is intended to impart rotary movements to the polishing units as they travel in one direction across the conveyor through one guideway 23, and the other cross-run of a chain is intended to impart similar rotary movements to the units of the same set as they travel in the opposite direction across the conveyor through the other guideway 23. The cross-runs of the chain are positioned to enga e. the inner sides of all ofthe sprocket whee s 2210f a set so that the several units have rotation in the same direction imparted thereto in both directions of movement of the units across the conve or. V

The p0 ishing units of each set have the respeotlve movements imparted thereto across the conveyor b two screw shafts 32, 32" one being provide with a right thread and associated',witl r one cross-run of the set and the other bein provided with a left thread and associate with the other cross-run of the set. These shafts are disposed at the outer sides of the respective cross-runs of the -'unit sets and between an associated pair of the guide bars 13 and 14. Each body member 19 of a unit carriage is provided with a pair of hinged cross-arms 33 forming half nuts or threaded jaws 34 at each side of their pivot, which jaws close and open together and are adapted to receiveand have threaded engagement with one or the other of the screw shafts 32, 32 as the units pass through one or the other of the associated guideways 23. In other words, when the units are traversing one guideway 23 the jaws at one end of the arms 33 are adapted to have threaded engagement with one of the shafts 32, 32, and when traversing the other guideway the jaws at the opposite ends of the arms 33 are adapted to have threaded engagement with the other of the shafts 32, 32". The arms 33 are connected and operate in the manner of scissors and are normally held closed by the action of springs 35 (Figs. 4 and 5). The arms 33 are mounted crosswise of each carriage body 19 in a loop 36 rovided on one side thereof and the ends 0 the arms project without the loopin position to engage the screw shaft which is adjacent to the respective cross-arm of the units. The shafts 32, 32* extend entirely across the machine and are journalled at their ends in respective bearings 37 provided on the adjacent frame standards 7, and each shaft at one end is provided with a worm wheel 38 in mesh with a worm 39 on a drive shaft 40 disposed lengthwise'of the machine at one side thereof and ing forked arms 43 and 44 projecting inwardly in vertically spaced relation from the upper end portion thereof and adapted to be placed by movements of the truck and to register respectively with the upper and lower guide bars 13 and 14 of either guideway 23.

,shaft 32,32 by reason of the outer wedge" 'end'of a stationary arm 45 entering between 15 I l 'the shghtly spaced hps 46 on the arms 33 atcarriage may one guideway 23 enters the registering carrying arms 43 and 44 of a transfer truck and that when the truck has been moved to place its forked arms into register withothe enter-- ing end with the other guideway 23 the unit pass from the truck into such .guideway.

position over a truck .12 from the leaving end of a guideway 23, the split nut 34 there-V of is caused to release .the engaged screw the outer sides of split nut members thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. A wedge arm 42dpro-f je'cts toward the leaving end of each ;e from an ad'acent frame. standard 7.

' If desire the runners or polishin'g blocks' disposed. The purpose of. the rollers47 is to.

facilitate the rotation of, the runners during such time as they are partially carried .by the glass on the conveyor or polishing table and partially by the transfer truck.

In the top of each truck 12 is mounted a scraping edge 48 disposed at the side of the truck adjacent to the conveyor and ada ted to have scraping coaction with the working faces of the runners 18 as they pass thereover so as to clean and condition the felt covering such'surfaces. This is an important feature of the machine as it enables the H polishing surfaces of the runners-to be autoc3, is conveyonf matically cleaned and reconditioned after each polishing movement across the olishing table. This reconditioning takesp ace dur ing the movement of a polishing unit over a transfer truck and before the sprocket wheel 22 of the unit has'beeh disengaged from the driving chain 24, which takes placewhen the 7 unit has moved a predetermined distance overthe truck. During the time the unit is at rest on a truck any necessary operations may be performed on the felt runner blocks or other parts of the unit. 7 v j In the operation of the machine the con: veyor 3 with glass thereon 'is'fed slowly through the machine and the polishing units are successively'fed across 'the conveyor at right'angles'tothe direction of travel ofthe same and at a redetermined d by the as they leave either guidewa 23 pass onto; the registering-transfer .truc -12, which is then moved the present instance; by hand I into register ,with the'; other guideway and-{ he lm't' b placledintoienglg'ementwiththejtationsflandlchangeslivithout'departing from w rni sh ft-eititcliiaid vaysq thatth e'anit 12 may rest-on",

The units Du the travel of the polishing unitsfacross the ta le the sprockets 22 thereof are in engagement'with thedrive chain 24,-.there'by imparting revoluble polishing movements to the runners 18. As soon as the runners of a unit have passed from engagement with the glass on the table the s rocket 22 of the unit.- leaves the chain 24 so final position on the truck the associated split When a unit 15 has been moved intoprope r 1a nut '34will have been opened .by the action- 1 of the .adjacent'wedge arm- 45 to'release the screw shaft-."jThe working surfaces'of the runners while still revolving "engage the scraper 47 on the truckftop and are thereby cleaned and reconditioned preparatory 4 for {their next polishing travel across the glass.

isold to polish glass by caus ng, the -pol-,

whing'qheajdsto travel, lengthwise .of or par allel-I movement of the table. ,In'" suchicaseyhowever, ins-found that the glass sheets .ido knot get as much. polishing 'efiect' the edgesf-as" they do in the center, re-- sulting in a'condition known to thetrade as shortefinished. With the present method;

wherein thepolishingheads or units travelacross the width of a'table andqcontinue their rotation" until they have passed from the table 'at the side, the obectionablecondlt on above noted is largely overcome, resulting in a considerable saving of the waste occasioned inthe other method by cutting off the short finished edge portions of the sheet 1 which usually amounts to a strip several inches wide at each side of the sheet.

one set of polishing units, transfer trucks and associated driving parts, it is apparent that.

I 2 While I have particularly described only to accomplish the necessary grinding orpol- ,ishing of the glass sheets as they are passed continuously through the machine from one end tothe. other thereof. It iwill be understood that the'reference herein to-plate glass applies to and includes all kinds'of sheet glass whichis adaptedto be ground or polished and is no't'restricted to that kind of glass which is commonly referre'd toiin the trade as plate'glass: also that the term polishing, as used herein, is intended to include any abrasive action applied tothe glass plates whetherthe same be for grinding cries-polishing the plates, and

while 2 2 I engagementoft e split nutof each unit with: llpnmmlyulior pollshmg" stnctly the. associated screw shaft 32, 32.

he contained herein is P galg fl-"platesgor sheets, it may also funderstood that myinvention is.

banned-for; of the-surfaces of l I I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor for supporting plate glass and having a defined path of movement, a polishing unit having two defined paths of movement across the conveyor transverse to the conveyor movement, means for transferring the unit from one path of transverse movement to the other, and separate means for feeding the unit from one side to the other of the conveyor in the path of movement in which disposed.

2. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor for supporting plate glass and having a defined path of movement, a polishing unit having two defined paths of movement across the conveyor transverse to the conveyor movement, means for transferring the unit from one path of transverse movement to the other, separate means for feeding the unit from one side to the other of the conveyor in the path of movement in which disposed, and means for rotating the unit during its movements across the conveyor.

3. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor for supporting plate glass and having a defined path of movement, a polishing unit having two defined paths of movement across the conveyor transverse to the conveyor movement, means for transferring the unit from one path of transverse movement to the other, separate means for feeding the unit from one side to the other of the conveyor in the path of movement in which disposed, means forming a part of the transferring means for conditioning the working surface of the unit at an end of a path of movement, and means for causing relative rotation between the conditioning means and unit.

4. In a machine of the class described, a. conveyor for supporting plate glass and having a defined path of movement, a polishing unit having two defined paths of movement across the conveyor transverse to the conveyor movement, means for transferring the unit from one path of transverse movement to the other, separate means for feeding the unit from one side to the other of the conveyor in the path of movement in which disposed, means for rotating the unit during its movements across the conveyor, and means forming a part of the transferring means for conditionin the workin surface of the unit at an end 0 each path of movement while the unit is rotating.

5. In a machine of the class. described, a conveyor for supportin plate glass and having a defined path 0 movement, means forming two guideways across the conveyor transverse to its path of movement and open at their ends, a plurality of polishing units successively movable through the guideways from one end to the other thereof and from the outlet end of each guideway, means for receiving each unit as it passes from the outlet end of one guideway and o erable to transfer it to the entrance end 0 the other guideway, and separate means for feeding the units through each guideway in polishing engagement with the glass on the conveyor.

6. In a machine of the class described, a

conveyor for supporting plate glass and having a defined path of movement, means forming two guideways across the conveyor transverse to its path of movement and open at their ends, a plurality of polishing units successively movable through the guideways from one end to the other thereof and from the outlet end of each guidewa means for receiving each unit as it passes mm the outlet end of one guideway and operable to ransfer it to the entrance end of the other guideway, means for feeding the units through each guideway in polishing engage ment with the glass on the conveyor, and means for automatically releasing the driving engagement of said feeding means with each unit as the unit reaches a predetermined point on said receiving means.

7. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor for supportin plate glass and having a defined path of movement, means forming two transverse to 1ts path of movement and open at their ends, a plurality of polishin units successfully movable through the gui eways from one end to the other thereof and from the outlet end of each guideway, means for receiving each unit as it passes from the outletend of one guideway and operable to transfer it to the entrance end of the other guideway, separate means for feeding the units through each guideway in polishing en agement with the glass on the conveyor, an means to im part polishing rotation to parts of the units as they travel across the conveyor.

8. In a machine of the class described, a conveyor for plate glass to be polished havin a defined path of movement, a truck mounte for movement at each side of the conveyor and parallel with its line of movement, two guides extending over the conveyor transversely thereof and in spaced relation longitudinally ofthe conveyor movement and being open at each end, a plurality of polish ing units guided for successive movements across the conveyor by the guides, and having rotary glass polishing means, means for feeding each unit through a guide in which disposed, and on to the adjacent truck at the outlet end of the guide to permit the unit to be transferred to the inlet end of the other guide by'a movement of the truck, and means common to both guides for driving the rotary polishing means of the units during their passage across the conveyor.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

' ARCHIE W. PLATT.

guideways across the conveyor, 

